Bratislava-Brno Offensive

The Bratislava-Brno Offensive was an offensive conducted by the Soviet Red Army's 2nd Ukrainian Front in western Slovakia and southern Moravia in March-May 1945. The Soviets captured the Slovak Republic's capital of Bratislava on 4 April 1945, while the Moravian city of Brno fell on 26 April. The offensive led to the downfall of the Slovak Republic and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, with both regions being reunited with Czechoslovakia.

History
In the spring of 1945, the Red Army's southern fronts began offensives from the Balkans into Central Europe; the 4th Ukrainian Front launched the Moravian-Ostrava Offensive, the 3rd Ukrainian Front began the Vienna Offensive, and the 2nd Ukrainian Front began an offensive to liberate Slovakia and Moravia from the Wehrmacht. The 7th Guards Army broke through the Hron River defenses of the German troops on 25 March before advancing towards Bratislava, and the battle for the city began on 2 April. President Jozef Tiso of the puppet Slovak Republic fled, leaving it to the German Sixth Army and the Hungarian Third Army to defend Bratislava. On 4 April 1945, Bratislava was liberated from the Axis forces, and the Soviets continued the push into Moravia. On 11 April, the Soviets took Lanzhot (Landshut) from the 60 German tanks defending the town, destroying 25% of the town and damaging 60% of the buildings. Brno was declared a "fortress" by Army Group Center commander Ferdinand Schoerner, and the 6th Guards Tank Army and the Soviet 53rd Army spearheaded the assault. On 26 April 1945, Brno was liberated, and the German forces in the northern districts were forced out by 5 May. The offensive destroyed seven Axis divisions, and President Edvard Benes spent a week in Brno, which was the Czechoslovak seat of government until the Prague Offensive in mid-May.